Muslim cleric given award by Archbishop called the butchers of October 7 ‘freedom fighters’, said suicide attacks against Nato troops were ‘lawful’ – and that men could take four wives at once without permission
Pakistani cleric Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi received the Lambeth Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Co-operation from Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally. The honour has prompted criticism after reports highlighted past comments in which Ashrafi praised Osama bin Laden and used language that appeared inconsistent with promoting interfaith harmony.
Ashrafi reportedly told the BBC he had met bin Laden and, in 2007, called him “Saifullah”, or “Sword of God”, after Salman Rushdie was knighted. The ceremony also attracted attention because Ashrafi appeared with women whose identities and relationships were not fully explained in the Church of England’s captions, while Lambeth Palace said it was urgently reviewing the matter.
- Pakistani cleric receives a Lambeth interfaith award.
- Past praise for Osama bin Laden sparks controversy.
- Lambeth Palace says it is reviewing the decision.